Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Whether
you are in the manufacturing or the retail business, you probably already have
an idea how much impact a neatly wrapped and properly packed product can have
on your customers. But now that more and more people are shopping online, the
products they buy have to go through other delivery channels before reaching
customers’ hands.

In many
cases, the products don’t get to the customers in the same pristine condition
as when they were shipped. Sometimes, the products get damaged, which can cause
major repercussions for your e-commerce business, such as the need to replace
the product just to satisfy your customers. And sometimes, boxes get torn and
opened in transit; just imagine how your customer would feel to receive a
dilapidated package. Whether you like it or not, these things will reflect
badly on you, not just on the courier.

So if
you’re selling your products online, take time to package your products for
shipping, which is far more constrictive than regular product packaging. If you
can get away with just using bags in your stores, when it comes to packaging
for shipping, using properly and thoroughly sealed boxes is the best option.

Given
this, you may want to consider investing in automated packaging solutions, such
as carton sealers or taping machines, as these can help you pack your products
properly and more speedily so they can be shipped in excellent condition.

Packaging Investment Suggestions
for E-Commerce Businesses

There are
several types of packaging equipment that can help streamline the packaging
process for the benefit of your e-commerce business. If your products need to
be protected from moisture, such as books, stretch wrapping equipment will be handy.
If your products break easily especially when exposed to physical impact,
shrink wrapping ‘bubble wrap’ machines are certainly a must. If your products
come in large sizes, such as electronics, case sealers and case erectors are
important investments as they can really make a huge difference in protecting
your products. And most importantly, since all your products have to come in
sealed packages, a taping machine should be one of your first
investments.

If you
want to go the extra mile to impress your customers, you should also consider
investing in your own labeling equipment. This will help you build a brand
identity, something that is harder for online businesses to do. You may not
have a storefront to display your brand name and logo in, but you can at least
leave labeled boxes in your consumers’ homes. They will certainly help make a
more lasting impression and thus provide added marketing benefits.

And
before you forget, if you ship items that are breakable, make sure to label all
packages with ‘fragile’ to provide additional protection for the items inside.

Going All the Way

Now, even
if you’ve invested in packaging machinery and do your best to present your
products properly to your customers, you won’t leave a positive impression if
your securely and neatly packed product does not get delivered on time. So as
an added tip, make sure to choose the right courier service to deliver your
products; nothing can ruin a perfectly good product than poor service.
Unfortunately, in the e-commerce business, the service of your courier has a
huge effect on you.

As an
e-commerce business, shipping is part of your product distribution process, so you
can’t just deliver your products to the courier as is. You are still
responsible for it until it gets to your customers. Since you don’t have to
worry about the overhead expenses that go into maintaining an actual store, you
can at least invest in better, more secure packaging for your products.